Happy last day of January!

January has been a wild ride for our family--but I still can't dislike the month. It's like a nice clean slate. I don't fill up my slate with resolutions, but I like the feeling of everything being cleared away (e.g. a simple house after all the beloved Christmas decor).

New things start peeking their heads out that will characterize the year, like the daffodils in the pic.

So that's my philosophical thought to keep my blog alive. More about what's going to be big for us this year when I figure out how to blog it.

See you in February!

Christmas day play

Papa's co-ed ;)

Who's having more fun???

Simon and great-grandpa discussing wing flaps. I like that kind of thing :)

The Ringing in of the presents

Here they are, in all their pajama-clad, goofy-eyed, sore-eared, fat-lipped and spiky-haired glory.

(Simon got an earache Christmas eve--poor bud--thanks to Mark and Nanna for going out at midnight and driving an hour to get him medicine. Mark and Papa gave him a priesthood blessing and after about ten minutes he was able to lay down and sleep, though he'd been crying for an hour before.)

gorilla--thanks catherine ;)

his own X-wing

Announcing the newest member of our family!!!

Bliss Darling Nolte

10 January 2008

36" long

~85 lbs

we've been waiting our whole marriage for her and can't wait to see what the adjustment to life with her will be like.

she's warm, she fluffs, she has no delicate cycle, and she stays quietly in the dark all night.

Christmas Eve . . . better late than never!

If this isn't enough ancient history for you, don't worry, I'm still planning on posting Christmas Day and other various holiday etcetera--start getting giddy with anticipation!

Simon on great grandpa's lap--they became fast friends over airplanes

Papa telling his traditional "Teach the Children" poem. It consists of Santa visiting the dad and explaining the true meaning of all the symbols of Christmas. My kids got to be front-row helpers, being the only ones from the 10-and-under set that night.

Alli getting really jazzed about something in the Gospel Principles manual that she's sure goes with what Papa's telling.

My dad's side's tradition is to open all the presents on Christmas eve. Our generation got to do one, and I let my kids do that too. Here's Simon with his cherished poison dart frog--from Aunt Catherine (my sis has good taste!).

I made both of the kids a sock monkey; and even with all of their assymetry (legs different lengths, skeewompus ear sizes) I say they look way better than the ones the stores are selling (thanks nanna for your last-minute rescuing, and grandma for your long-distance coaching throughout)!

Foreground: She likes it!!!

Background: Yes, the holiday treats did wonders for my pregnancy. I'm 7 months looking like "Now Showing: The 9 months along Spectacle!!!"

A puppet show? a parade? prouder of their new animals than their own faces? one of those.

In Grandpa's hanger

Looking at the mechanisms inside the Piper Tripacer (am I remembering the name right, Dad?) Soo cool. Wish my dad could've been there.

This is a close up for my dad. ;)

Happy in MO!

We spent a week for Christmas in Missouri at Mark's grandparents' farm.

Here's Simon with "his best friend Brittany".

Don't you wish you could walk on this path forever? I do.

a Missouri Christmas eve stroll

the pond

the walking stick

Mark's Aunt Gayle and cousin Brittany

the runway!!! wish we could have landed on it

Nanna and Papa --Mark's mom and dad ;)

yay for baking with nanna!!!

i'm always telling my kids "i'm not an octopus"--that i don't have enough arms to do all they want me to simultaneously, but nanna's amazing--deflecting over-eager dumps of salt and letting two kids be right up next to the bowl and participating. hoorah!

on the train

happy, touristy, zooming along
no, she's not doing the peace sign, she just thinks you should always hold your hand up for "cheese"
at the end i thought we were just heading mellowly back to the station, but instead they took us through this dark tunnel full of ten or more cowboys having a shootout. simon went all pale and his lips turned blue with fright--not his idea of a pleasant ending.

a green day with Nanna

we took nanna to our favorite parks--she endulged us with pictures of us smooching and ben and jerry's ice cream ;)

"Why I like Christmas."

Simon: "Do you know why I like Christmas so much?"

Possible answers? Many.

His:

"Because you get toys without even having to pay for them!"

He said it so full of hope and unbridled joy, and free of the worries of adulthood or even the weight of childhood (you know, having to jump through all sorts of parental hoops to get an occasional $2 toy)---it was great.

I was thinking about it later and this scripture came into my head where Jesus says: Come, my brethren, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, come buy and eat; yea, come buy wine and milk without money and without price. (2 Nephi 9:50)

Merry Christmas!!! Merry Christmas!!! Merry Christmas!!!

Here comes Santa Claus!!!

At the church Christmas party they had all the kids come and sit together while the missionaries read "Twas the night before Christmas." Then at certain opportune times during the story sounds started coming from behind the curtain on the stage (reindeer landing, bells ringing, other various thumping); then, the kids spotted Santa backing out from behind the curtain). That's what you see above. ;) You can't see it, but I was grinning like a goofball behind them; it was the perfect Santa presentation.

Simon sharing the exciting news!!!

Side note: Alli was so excited to be over there with the kids she was hugging Simon with one arm and any other kid she could reach with her other arm.

Simon discussing R2D2 with Santa.

(Alli lost her nerve during the non-moving 20 minutes in line.)

By the way, our Santa sings opera--can yours?

It's time to be two!

For two days she'd been saying "I wahn buh-day cake. Blue cake." So it was mostly joy and rapture when the time came.

Mark had too much cake. . .

Allianna blew out the candles 3-4 times. Skills . . .

She's a good mother of twins. With help from a doting "uncle" (who thinks he's going to marry his sister someday, and name all their children Simon or Alli--but that's another story).



Fun in the new ladybug tent. I got in on the fun by setting the thing up. ;)